


The Five Lands a King Visited and The One He Returned To

by WrittenLetters



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-22
Updated: 2013-10-22
Packaged: 2017-12-30 03:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1013726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrittenLetters/pseuds/WrittenLetters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wherein N travels the world and finds himself back in Unova.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Five Lands a King Visited and The One He Returned To

 

 

**I. Relations**

 

When N wakes up he finds himself at peace, or so he thinks. 

The land beneath him is different. Yes, it is composed of minerals and common elements – most notably carbon and shards of low quality granite – and the tall grass that stands tall is made up of similar particles, but in different structures. Regardless of its composition it’s not Unova and with that thought N breathes out a trapped sigh. 

Last night’s events recalibrate and form inside his mind – Zekrom and him were to find a rather deserted environment and hide.

Leave Unova. Get away. Find alternate formulas to his flawed one – answers that can only be found a world away – and perhaps create a new formula altogether.

That was the plan, but N’s not sure – his truth has fallen apart. He never accounted for doubt before.

That’s all it takes to shatter his moment of peace… 

And some grown man yelling at him in some foreign language from the hilltop above. The next thing N knows is that he’s being pelted with rocks, Zoroark is out of his Pokéball in no time flat, and they’re both running to the nearest dense cluster of trees. Neither king nor Pokémon hear the man gasp over the sight of Zoroark.

N, mind reeling, is trying to figure out what just happened and how the number five hundred is involved when Zoroark let’s out an exasperated growl.

“Leave it to a legendary hero to find solace in a Safari Zone.”

Stopping, pausing – N comes back to reality. “A what? Zekrom sensed a thunder storm hitting the area soon and exhausted from yesterday’s flight –“

Zoroark chidingly punches N’s shoulder. “This is why I didn’t leave you – never leave family behind. Now let’s get patched up – luckily there are berries in this area.”

N is still stuck on Zoroark’s first statement.

Zoroark breaks N’s calculations before they can even being. “I meant Zekrom, not you.”

N’s hands flutter to his Menger Sponge feeling for the grooves, anything for… Peace. Piece. Pieces. Answers.

“She wasn’t one either… humans, always putting such an importance on yourselves. Now come on, you’ll need to find this place’s professor so you can get the RSE expansion added to your devices. We need a map captain and our tracking skills will only get us so far.”

  

 

**II. Unconventional**

 

Lost, N stumbles upon a small shrine. 

Zoroark is off searching for berries, so N can’t have him decode its significance.

It must be important because the light here comes through the trees in gold and silver, giving the structure a slight sparkle.

Suddenly a crystal trill rings and his soul and heart become a raging fire.

N runs and a small voice inside of him says it isn’t time yet.

 

 

**III. Traditional**

 

Red sevens, yellow Pikachus, and blue –

N doesn’t need to memorize the other potential images associated with payouts and jackpots. He knows the machines are rigged and the fact that there aren’t any card tables around confirms this further.

It’s not like he’s broke, so there’s no need to “count cards” as muscle bound guards call it, but N has discovered that these venues are similar to Team Plasma information hubs within the old castle and he needs to reconnect with reality – ironic statement and all.

He’s getting better at picking up this land’s – no, country’s – language and Zoroark has been able to help in a variety of ways: switching transformation lessons with wild Dittos for human words, finding some areas with Unova transplants that are blissfully unaware as to who N is (his name is Green here), and getting better as transforming as some imaginary sibling so that N doesn’t look too awkward traveling alone.

Zoroark already attracts too much attention with wild Pokémon and N rather not keep him locked inside a pokéball for the duration of their journey.

With a tug at his sleeve (some jacket crafted with colors other than black or white) Zoroark’s human disguise nods in the direction of the exchange counter and N breaks away from his thoughts.

Three men in odd, black and red attire are staring at them. 

Zoroark makes some girlish laugh to fit his illusion and pulls N to the entrance, out the door, around the corner, off to the Pokémon Center, behind the building, and throws N behind a tree before Zoroark himself transforms into one.

Minutes pass. N is doing his best to not toy with his necklace or key chain or think of any formulas or equations.

Instead he breaks, panics, grabs Zoroark (he knows how his tail rests when he’s being a someone or something else), and runs for a deeper patch of foliage.

Neither speaks to each other until later that night.

 

* * *

 

“You know there’s no need to go to those places anymore.”

“You’re not going to find him there and I’d focus blast, night slash his tongue out before he could even say your name.”

“You’re old enough to pick and choose your own family – I’m inviting myself into the mix though, but I know you don’t mind. You’re part of mine.”

“What did you want for yourself when you left? We all have to live and we can’t sit around arguing what’s the best method to do so while time passes us by.” 

N finds himself sobbing out apologies into Zoroark’s fur as the night washes out into a morning sky.

  

 

**IV. Mysterious**

 

There is something about this land that makes N feel like he’s home – in the secluded forests of Unova in a time before everything fell into place.

Zoroark and Zekrom feel something as well, but they never outright say it.

One day while buying provisions in some metropolis N finds himself drawn to a jewelry display and walks away with a new unplanned purchase.

A pair of rings set in platinum with pearls and diamonds.

That night in the depths of a route, Zoroark and Zekrom are out of their portable containers. Zoroark doesn’t chide N about his frivolous purchase – he smiles – and Zekrom is memorized by them which is odd for the aloof creature.

Zekrom sleeps with them for that night and returns the rings to N in the morning. Zekrom also makes a point that N must wear the one with a wide band, inset white pearls and black diamonds in a repeating pattern around. As for the other, Zekrom huffs out a grunt and N finds himself intertwining it in the chain that rests around his neck.

 

* * *

 

Time passes and N leaves for another land. The weight on his shoulders has lessen, his laughter is carries more of a timbre, and his manner of speech is finding a consistent rhythm instead of fast and _waytoofast_. As he packs his bag he realizes that Zekrom thought his rings contained other legendary Pokémon.

N tries not to think more about it, given that the other ring is composed of black pearls and a white diamond.

He still wears the rings, but hopes that his next location doesn’t remind him of _her_.

A box that contains a Pokémon Watch is angrily shoved into a much too small compartment successfully. Its surface volume can’t put a dent into N’s uncalculated emotions.

  

 

**V. Beauty**

 

The capital irks N.

Actually this whole land does which is ironic given its relationship with Unova. It’s so jarringly different – the pace is rather slow, its residents fawn over beauty, the number of cafes in a single town baffle him to the point where he’s equated the color green to mean pricy drink concoctions, and there’s an electrically powered tower instead of a ferris wheel.

The last thing bothers him more than it should. 

He finds ways to busy himself.

There are equations that still need to be fixed. With the use of formulas and rules he can’t seem to solve them – there’s no x + y = z that’s consistent. He’s given up on truth and mathematics and music – universal languages of the world – and he’s finding that experience counts far more than truth. It does help that experience can be truth and a better gap to bridge concerning his past beliefs.

Yet he is discovering that he finds this bustling city has a certain charm. Poke Puffs are intriguing and Zoroark has a “guilty pleasure” for the mint flavored ones (N doesn’t get why Zoroark is embarrassed over the treats – he’s bought boxes of the delights from his hefty earnings due to the local hotel). There’s a café that is dedicated to the idea of them and how to be best friends with Pokémon. In fact N finds himself there more than he would care to admit, even with the language barrier present, yet he’s still able to talk to any Pokémon that there and whatever he says must mean a great deal of worth. Just as Zoroark has a preference for sweet treats, N finds himself enjoying a variety of mixed caffeine sugary drinks that regular customers buy for him.

Then there are things that completely confuse him. This land has odd stones that aren’t like evolution stones – N doesn’t know how they work, or Zoroark – but they hold some sort of significance. With statues of Zekrom and Reshiram present in an elaborate estate he wonders if this land has various Pokémon trapped in stone, but there would have to be _hundreds_ as N has seen all sort of stones pass hands. Plus whenever he sees one in person a nearby stranger will grab his hand, inspect his ring and bracelets, and then pout. 

It’s during one late afternoon; occupying an outdoor table that N realizes in between the pages of his book and the steam from his coffee that he doesn’t dislike the capital.

He’s just upset that she isn’t here with her childhood friends – _with him_ – playfully arguing about what to do next or that they have to leave _right now_ to get the best of today’s Galettes and “No Cheren, today’s berry juice special isn’t new” and wondering if there’s a viewing platform at the near-top of the city’s gym.

Perhaps the answer to his equation will forever be changing.

N leaves a tip next to his slightly touched coffee and leaves for the nearest empty field. If Zekrom starts off for Unova now they can make it there by this time tomorrow.

Time is passing and he can’t afford to keep delaying his fate over his halfway-solved issues.

He fiddles with a ring on his hand and another around his neck.

 

 

**VI. One**

 

He wonders if he’s two years too late.

After trying to thwart Team Plasma again, giving up Zekrom again (technically he didn’t leave the first time around), N finds himself waiting again.

His fingers twitch against the table’s surface.

The only thing he knows about Touko is that she gave up Reshiram and isn’t in Unova, and Bianca and Cheren are more upset by the former rather than the later. 

N ponders if it’s because someone else has Reshiram now – that that’s supposed to signify something. He doesn’t mind it himself because he’s been finally able to walk away from what happened two years ago – for the most part – and he was never keen on claiming Zekrom as his possession for his entire life (he knows that a pokéball containing a Pokémon is still viewed as such). That was just it though; Zekrom tied him to Unova, as does Reshiram with her.

So now they have to admit that after two years, no communication, that Touko’s familial bonds aren’t enough to keep them in the loop or something far worse. 

Though with Cheren and Bianca across from him (and luckily not the young girl – the new hero) he doesn’t voice his thoughts aloud. He’ll do as little talking as possible.

Cheren lifts his drink, now letting the ceramic rim hover below his lips. “She’s looking for you.”

It takes Bianca to clarify as Cheren and N stew in their own misery, sipping non-fancy drinks. Her hands aren’t as animated before and her voice isn’t full of pep and excitement, hopes and dreams and friendship, ”She helped Looker bring down the rest of the sages and then when Looker wanted to go after you –“

“Your…” Cheren places his cup down gently. “We found out Ghetsis escaped and she knew why you were next. She fled. Said something about having to do at least one thing right.”

N nods and sees that Cheren’s cup is empty. 

Bianca continues to fiddle with the handle of hers. “Touya took over for her at The League – you didn’t meet him back then. He’s –” 

Cheren interrupts, “Well until Rosa beats him, or – ”.

“But they have another four years before they can submit and Touya is technically a stand in –“ 

N senses an old argument about to break the surface, “What about Alder?”

They stop and Bianca sighs, “He’s retired.” 

“He said that today’s generation is that of the young people. Funny how in this world we’re too young to be acknowledged as adults and yet we’re far too old to save it. I guess we should have been ten when we started our Pokémon journeys.” Cheren’s voice quivers a bit and N knows better than to divulge further.

“Whatever happens happens.” N ponders aloud.

The statement must startle them as Cheren makes some unflattering choking sound and Bianca gasps. “But _you_ –“

“Time has changed us all, though not enough to please us, and we seek what we lost in order to compensate for such faults. All we can do is to keep moving forward, keep doing something rather than wallowing over the past. I know – mathematical equations can’t really factor in _well_ when time is an ever changing constant.”

Cheren and Bianca freeze. A cup is shattered and a slosh of tea is heard (Bianca’s cup then).

“Let me talk to Reshiram. Maybe I can find her.”

Cheren and Bianca both eye each other warily passing a silent message between them. They face N and nod and Bianca proceeds to call Rosa on her Xtransceiver.

 

 

* * *

 

What history doesn’t tell of Zekrom and Reshiram is that both legendary beasts revert back to their original forms when they’re dormant in stone.

They lose their memories.

Just as Zekrom doesn’t remember him, Reshiram doesn’t remember Touko or know where she could be.

N cries because he will always remember Zekrom while Zekrom has forgotten him and yet would remain loyal – unconditionally – if N ever summoned him from his stone capsule. 

 

 

* * *

 

When N dreams, he finds answers.

He travels west at dawn.

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd. Plot bunny had an idea and this happened. May come back and touch this up before the year ends along with its two sequels "The Five Subjects a King Meets and The One He Found" and "The Five Lands a Knight Traveled and The One He Followed His King Back To".


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